Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-02-12
REV. DR.. TALMAGg,
THE BROOKLYN DIvINEs SUNDAY
SERMON.
suhjcct. "Theso Flying xcars."
TEXT: "Hov Old Ar. Taour-eene.i.

AAVW 0tA <1ft 4WOWf -00uCSA
Xvii. 8.
The Egyptian capital was the focus o
the worlds wealth. In ships and barge
there had been brought from India, CHINA
mon and frankincense and ivory and dia
monds. From the north, marble and iron
From Syria, silks and puppies. From Gresce
the finest horses In the world and the mos
brilliant chariots. From all parts of The
earth, everything that could please the eye
or charm the ear, or crafty the TASTE There
were temples of flaming red sandstone entered
by gateways guarded by pillars bewildering
with hierogbyphics, and wound around BY
brazen serpents, and adorned with winged
creatures, their eyes and beaks and pinions
glittering with precious stones Ttere were
marble pillars blooming into white flower
beds. There were stone pillars, the top burst
ing into the shape Of the lotos in full bloom
Along the avenues lined with sphinx and
fame and obelisk. Princes rode in gorgeous
palankine, or were drawn in vehicles by snow
white horses golden bitted, six abreast, dash.
ing at full run. There were fountains from
stone wreathed vases climbing the ladders
Of the sum- A bolt would shove and door
Of brass would open like flash of the sun.
There were the odors of gardens all around
about the pa!cces--olors climbing the
terraces, or dripping from the ar
bors, or burning their incense in the
Egyptian noon. The floors of mosaic
were written all over with the glories of
Pharaoh, written in letters of porphyry and
beryl and flame. There were ornaments
twisted out of the wood of tamarisk en-
bossed with silver breaking into foam. There
were fcotstools made out of single precious
stone. There were chairs spotted with the
sleek hide of leopards. There were beds
fashioned out of crouched lion in bronze.
wild beasts and armed with the beak of
birds. As on some summer day you stand
on the level Of the sea beach, and for miles in
this direction and miles in that direction
you see the foam of the breakers driven
aho-eward. SO it seemed as if the sea of
the worlds pomp and wealth in that
Egyptian capital were flung up in white
breakers of temple and mausoleum and ODE
lisk. 1t was to that splendid city, and 10 tho
finest building in that city, the palace Of
Pharaoh, that old Jacob the Shepherd far
mer, came to find his son, joseph, who had
become Prime Minister and was living III one
Of the royal apartments. There Pharaoh and
Jacob met. Dignity and rusticity. The
gracefulness of the ralace and the plain man
ners of the field. And Pharaoh, the King, to
put the old countryman at ease, and noticing
how white his beard was, and how feeble his
limbs, looks Familiarity in the fece of the
aged, shepherd farmer and says: How old
art thouin
Night before last, the gate of eternity
OPoueu 10 leu III dlIllu Une LnTOuI OF QoparL0u
centuries the soul of the dying year. Under
the twelfth stroke Of the brazen hammer OF
the city clock the old patriarch fell dead.
What fortunate thing it is that we have
this milestone on the road of life showing
how far we are getting on toward the end of
tie Journey, and this morning it is appro-
pirate that look into your faces as Pharaoh
looked into the face Of Jacob, and ask you
the sane question: "H1w old art thouz'
People who are truthful about every taing
else will lie about their ages! So / will put
NO one OF you under temptation. ! want
this morning to apply higher test
than the ordinary test There is a
right way and wrong way Of meassri1g q
door, measuring wall. measuring an arch,
and there is wrong wayof measuring our
earthly existence Therefore, with this higher
meaning approach you odav, and with all
the solemnity involved in the question l ask
you: How old art thou0 A great many
people, notice. measure their existence by
was wished happy New Year, he replied:
II hope 1t will be great deal happier than
the old year, for did not have one happy
moment in all the twelve months But that
has not been the experience of most
OF us. The most of us found out that though
this world is blasted, it is bright and
beautiful and glorious world. There is no
festivity and innocent hilarity. ] really
think we do not thank God enough for
worldly pleasures. Why do not yon go hack
further in recounting your merciesi Why
do not you go clear back to the time when
You lay an infant in your mothers arms,
looking up into the heaven of her smilei
Why do not you go back to the time when
You filled the house with uproar of
boisterous merriment-to the time when
with shout you pitched the ball on
the playground, to the time. the cold,
severe. winter night. when, muffled
10 to the chin, on the skates you shot out
over the resounding ice of the pond We're
you ever boy Were you ever a girl
Have you thanked God for early blessings /
Joy joy Joyl From those times to this,
oh how many blessings have breathed up to
us from the flowers, and shone down to us
from the stars. and shouted to us with the
voice Of soaring bird and tumbling cascade,
and booming sea, and thunders with hayonets
OF fire charging down the mountain side.
Joy joy joy But while all this is true,
bow unwise that man who measures his life
BY worldly qualification: Life is not
a game of chess, it is not the
foam of an ale pitcher, it is not the drecs of
wine cup. 1t is not to be scene of intoxi-
cation and registering. will tell you what
life is. Life is the first step on ladder that
msunts into the skies, or the first step on n
road that plunges into horrible abyss It
is the keying up Of harp or it is the forging
Of chain. Standing here to-day in the first
Sabbath in the new year, mansions on one
side and dungeons on the other. songs on ono
side and groans on the other, Heaven on ono
side and hell on the other, put to Won the
tremendous question Of my text; "How old
art thouP Toward what destiny art thon
tendingl How soon will you reach ltl
But notice great many other people
measure their earthly existence by their sor-
rows and their misfortuneS Through .ne
life Of many Of you the pillow has gone
deep. turned up terrific furrow How you
have been lied about, and maltreated, and
slapped Of impertinence and pounded of
misfortune. In the brightest life there are
shadows. In the smoothest road there are
thorns. Upon the most beautiful brood the
hawk pounces. John Milton. while he was
losing his eyesight heard that Ealmatos was
glad Of IL. Pope, applauded for bis poetry
all the world over, was so annoyed at his
stopping shoulders that in order to avoid
the eyes Of the public, be had tunnel dug
through which he walked day by day from
garden to grotto and from grotto to garden.
Sheridan, while his play was being enacted
in Drury Lane Theatre, heard that his
enemy, Cumberland, was growing at it in
the stage box. Bishop Cooper's lexicon
manuscript, the result Of lifetime's toll, is
by termagant wife thrown into the fire.
Canno, the Spanish artist, was disgusted
with tie crucifx the priest handed him, be-
cause it was not good specimen OF sculp-
ture. And sometimes through the taste, and